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A lack of morals, a thirst for power, and the training and brute force of a killer, these are the aspects that define a mercenary. Heartless murderers, mercenaries do what benefits them and don't care who gets killed in the process. Mercenaries will be paid assassins when enough gold is involved, but they are just as likely to save time by killing their employer and taking the cash.

Mercenaries are skilled combatants and mediocre spellcasters. Although the morals of good-aligned characters disgust them, they will team up with others when it fits their needs.

Abilities: As a combat-oriented class, mercenaries value strength and constitution. A mercenary's skill comes from training and research, and many of a their special abilities are tied to intellegence. Wisdom increases the power a mercenary's spellcasting.

Races: Humans are ambitious, as well as a little greedy, and are the most common mercenaries. Elf mercenaries are stealthy assassins who treat murder as an art. Some gnome and halfling mercenries exist, but they are rare, outcasts of their race. Dwarves are to honorable to be mercenaries, and half-orcs usualy do not show the focus necessary to become mmercenaries.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mercenaries are proficient in all simple and martial weopones, with all types of armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Spells: Beginning at fourth level, a trained mercenary may know how to cast a small number of arcane spells (the same type of spells available to wizards and sorcerers), which are drawn from the mercenary spell list below. However, there are many differences between mercenaries and other spellcasters.

Spells Known: To learn a spell, a mercenary must have an intellegence score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. In addition, he must spend 24 hours studying without interuption. A mercenary may know a total number of spells equal to his intellegence modifier.

Casting Spells: Like other spellcasters, a mercenary can only cast a certain number of spells each day. A mercenary with a wizard's spellbook may prepare and cast spells in the same way a wizard would. Unlike wizards, a mercenary does not gain new spells for his spellbook at new levels. He may, however, write spells he already knows (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, p179). Note that this costs 100 gp per spell. A mercenary casting spells this way may choose and prepare spells spells from his spellbook ahead of time each day equal to his base daily spell allotment. He prepares spells by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook.

Some mercenaries, however, have the inborn skill to cast simple spells without preparation. A mercenary can cast an unprepared spell if he has a wisdom score of at least 3 x the spell level +10, asuming he has already trained to know the spell. For example, a mercenary needs a wisdom score of at least 16 to cast unprepared 2nd level spells. If a mercenary has not prepared spells of a level, he may cast unprepared spells of that level until he has reached his base daily spell allotment for spells of that level. Otherwise, each unprepared spell cast replaces a prepared spell of the same level. A mercenary cannot cast a spell if he has already cast spells of the same level (prepared or unprepared) equal to his base daily spell allotment for spells of that level.

Spell Modifiers: A mercenary recieves bonus spells each day if he has a high enough wisdom score (see Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page 8). The difficulty class for a saving throw against a mercenary's spell is 10 + the spell level + the mercenary's wisdom modifier. Through 3rd level, a mercenary has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is one-half his mercenary level.

Aura of Evil (Ex): The power of a mercenary's Aura of Evil (see detect evil spell) is equal to his mercenary level, just like the aura of a cleric of an evil diety.

Deathwatch (Sp): At will, a mercenary can use deathwatch, as the spell.

Deadly Precision (Su): Once per day, a mercenary may attempt deadly precision on a nomal meelee attack. This adds his intellegence modifier (if any) to the attack roll and deals 1 point of extra damage per mercenary level.

At fifth level, and at every five levels thereafter, a mercenary may attempt deadly precision an additional time each day, to a maximum of five times per day at twentieth level.

Honed Reflexes (Su): At second level, a mercenary gains a bonus equal to his intelligence modifier (if any) to all saving throws.

Siphon Soul (Su): Beginning at second level, a mercenary with a wisdom score of 12 or higher can drain the life out of an enemy by making a succesfull touch attack. Each day he can drain a total number of hit points equal to his wisdom modifier x his mercenary level. For example, a 4th level mercenary with a wisdom score of 16 (+3 modifier) can deal 12 points of damage and gain 12 temporary hit points each day. The gained hit points last for 1 minute per mercenary level (or 5 × mercenary level rounds of combat). A mercenary may choose to spread out the pain among multiple recipitents, and does not have to use it all at once. Using syphon soul is a standard action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Aura of Courage (Su): Beggining at 3rd level, a mercenary is imune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of him gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the mercenary is concious, but not while he is unconsious or dead.

Lethal Acuracy (Ex): At 3rd level, a mercenary becomes more likely to strike a killing blow. He gets a bonus to his attack roll equal to his intellegence modifier. This is aplied before other modifiers and considered part of the natural roll required to score critical hits. This cannot increase the natural roll to more than 20. For example, a mercenary with an intellegence score of 17 (+3 modifier) who rolls a 18 for an attack with a longsword would be considered to have a natural 20, thus scoring a critical hit. Afterwards, other modifiers (such as the stength modifier for meelee attacks) are aplied as normal.

Rebuke Undead (Su): At 4rth level, a mercenary can rebuke undead. He may use this ability a number of times each day equal to 3 + his wisdom modifier. A mercenary rebukes undead as a cleric three levels lower would.

Special Mount (Sp): Similar to a paladin's special mount, this summons an undead warhorse or warpony as a full round action.

Slay Living (Sp): At 6th level, a mercenary can produce a slay living effect, as the spell, once per week. He can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th. The saving throw DC (fortitude, partial) is 10 + your mercenary level.

A mercenary who is not evil cannot use Aura of Evil, Syphon Soul, Rebuke Undead, Special Mount, and Slay Living, or cast or learn mercenary spells. They still know these abilities, but using them is an act against their allignment. They cannot gain mercenary levels until they return to evil.

A mercenary who becomes chaotic loses Deathwatch, Deadly Precision, Honed Reflexes, Lethal Acuracy, and the ability to prepare mercenary spells. They may still cast mercenary spells which they have a high enough wisdom to cast spontaniously, although they cannot learn new mercenary spells. They cannot gain mercenary levels while chaotic.